Don’t Suffer With Knee Pain
Knee pain: Are you a victim? Pinpointing the affected area can help you find knee pain relief.
FootSmart has teamed with The Podiatry Institute to bring you information on two major types of knee pain:
Read on for tips on how to treat and prevent each type of knee pain.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome: Relieve Knee Pain in the Outer Knee Area
Iliotibial band syndrome, an inflammatory condition, causes knee pain on the outside of the knee due to overuse during sports training. The iliotibial band is a fibrous band extending from the hip to the lateral knee that can become inflamed and cause knee pain as it rubs over the knee’s lateral condyle. This band may not only cause knee pain, but may also produce pain and swelling at the hip joint as well.
What Causes Outer Knee Pain (Iliotibial Band Syndrome)?
Increased running is the number one cause of this condition, and can result in severe knee pain.
The knee pains may get even worse if you do any of the following:
- Running down hills can cause increased knee pain.
- Changing anything about your workout, like changing the surface on which you run, may result in knee pains.
- Wearing worn out shoes, especially if you run on a regular basis, can contribute to your knee pain.
- If you have any conditions such as pronation, a tight iliotibial band, leg length inequality or weak quadriceps muscles, can also add to increased knee pain.
What are the Symptoms of Outer Knee Pain (Iliotibial Band Syndrome)?
The foremost symptom of Iliotibial band syndrome is knee pain, which can be localized at the outside of the knee or radiate up the side of the thigh. You may feel a snapping sensation when the bent knee is straightened. Aside from the knee pain, however, there is little swelling, and range of motion of the knee joint should remain normal.
Relieve and Prevent Outer Knee Pain (Iliotibial Band Syndrome)
Reducing activity is the hallmark to reducing knee pain. Stretching and strengthening exercises are mandatory as well if you want to ease your knee pains.
In addition, try following these tips to treat your knee pain:
- Stretch the iliotibial band – like with stretching aids – to avoid knee pain.
- Give ice massages to the painful area to help relieve knee pains.
- Wear knee supports for knee pain relief.
- Strengthen the quadriceps to help treat and prevent knee pain.
- Wear good supportive shoes with added arch supports, a great tip to help prevent all types of lower body pain – not just knee pain.
- Avoid running on hills if you want to ease knee pain.
- Take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication if needed to alleviate the knee pain.
- Consult a podiatrist for custom-made orthotics to help ease knee pains.
Chondromalacia: Relieve Knee Pain Behind or Around the Kneecap
Knee pain behind or around the kneecap is often diagnosed as chondromalacia, an abnormal softening of the cartilage that makes it difficult to move your knee.
Chondromalacia, also known as Patellofemoral Stress Syndrome or Runner’s Knee Pain, occurs when the kneecap rubs against the lower end of the femur – the thighbone – instead of gliding smoothly over it. This repetition roughens the cartilage underneath the kneecap, causing knee pain. The damage can range from a slight abnormality of the cartilage surface, to a surface that has been completely worn away to the bone.
Traumatic cases of this type of knee pain occur when a blow to the kneecap actually tears off a piece of articular cartilage or bone.
This kind of knee pain most commonly appears in:
- Runners
- Skiers
- Cyclists
- Soccer players
What Causes Knee Pain Behind or Around the Kneecap (Chondromalacia)?
This type of knee pain and the softening of the kneecap’s articular cartilage can be caused by:
- Trauma can cause knee pain.
- Overuse can add to your knee pain.
- Muscle weakness can contribute to knee pains.
- Mal-alignment can cause knee pain.
- Age is a factor to consider when evaluating what caused your knee pain.
Over-pronation can lead to mal-alignment, which means the lower leg twists inward while the quadriceps tendon pulls the patella outward. A tight hamstring, tight heel cords and tight quadriceps also contribute to the problem.
Young people who develop this kind of knee pain can usually blame trauma or overuse; if this type of knee pain appears in someone older, this person may also have osteoarthritis.
What are the Symptoms of Knee Pain Behind or Around the Kneecap (Chondromalacia)?
This kind of knee pain usually presents itself as a dull pain around or under the kneecap. The knee pains can worsen when engaging in any of these activities:
- Participating in sports activities like running can also cause more knee pain and trauma. In fact, taking part in any activity that forces the knee to bear weight as it’s straightened can add to the knee pain.
- Walking up or down stairs can worsen the knee pain.
- Walking on a hill can contribute to increased knee pains.
Relieve and Prevent Knee Pain Behind or Around the Kneecap (Chondromalacia)
This type of knee pain can be treated with rest and ice to reduce swelling. In addition, doctors will advice you to do the following to help ease your knee pain:
- Engaging in low impact exercises that strengthen muscles, particularly within the quadriceps, can ease knee pains.
- Swimming, riding a stationary bike or engaging in other low-impact exercises can help relieve knee pain.
- Stretching and strengthening the hamstrings and quadriceps can contribute to your knee pain relief.
- Using a knee brace provides stable relief from knee pain.
- Wearing shoes with added arch supports, especially during exercise or walking, is crucial to treating knee pains.
- Taking over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs can help relieve knee pain and swelling.
Knee pain: It won’t go away overnight. But if the knee pain and swelling persist, FootSmart and The Podiatry Institute recommend that you consult your physician. Orthotics and/or surgery may be required to lessen your knee pains.
Information on foot, leg and lower body health conditions like knee pain provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on muscoskeletal health.